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Materia-Blade on 06 April 2015
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Egann said:

....Back on topic...

Let's work backwards: what does Nintendo need to do with the NX to be relevant? Well, I think three things.

  1. It has to be close enough to competitors that developers will multiplat on it, even if it isn't selling that well. This means x86 architecture and 8 GB RAM.
  2. It has to have an aspect which tells both consumers and developers this isn't a Sony or Microsoft console.
  3. It has to launch with at least one killer app, probably two.

And an Unspoken Fourth:

4. The Creator's Program HAS TO GO. There's no way Nintendo will get competitive marketing if they continue to punish people for promoting their material, especially when Nintendo spends almost nothing on marketing, anyway.

1, 3, and 4 are all easy enough, and entirely doable. Start with the PS4's stats and architecture and build from there, repurpose Zelda U and Xenoblade X as launch titles (or even as Ultimate Editions) and kill the creator's program. 2, however, is much harder...but if anyone in the industry can pull that off, it's Nintendo.

I think that this is a difficult, but doable road for Nintendo. Here's my prediction:

  • 30 percent chance of failure forcing Nintendo to restructure.
  • 35 percent chance of a failure limping them along for 5 more years.
  • 30 percent chance of moderate success.
  • 5 percent chance of becoming the next big thing.

Wii U is already close enough to it's competitors to get multiplatforms. Put the point I'll argue is that if NX is a console, ps4/x1 won't be it's competitors, their successors will. anyway, I think wii u successor will release in 2017 with much better specs than you expect.

"Start with the PS4's stats and architecture and build from there, repurpose Zelda U and Xenoblade X as launch titles (or even as Ultimate Editions)"

Also, this sounds terrible.